Skills
User-Centric Design: Champion and implement user-centred design methodologies, prioritising the needs and experiences of end-users in all service design decisions.
Government Digital Service (GDS) Standards: Expertise in adhering to GDS standards to ensure designs align with government guidelines, principles, and accessibility requirements.
Service Blueprinting: Proficiency in creating detailed service blueprints, mapping end-to-end user journeys, touchpoints, and interactions, while identifying pain points and opportunities for improvement.
Stakeholder Engagement: Strong skills in collaborating with users, product managers, developers, and policy makers to gather insights and ensure alignment across teams.
Design Thinking: Application of design thinking principles to solve complex problems, fostering innovation and iterative improvements.
User Research: Plan, conduct, and analyse user research activities to gather qualitative and quantitative insights, ensuring services meet user needs.
Prototyping and Iteration: Create interactive low- and high-fidelity prototypes to visualise, test, and refine design concepts based on feedback and user insights.
Agile Methodology: Experience working in Agile environments, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver iterative and effective solutions.
Data-Driven Decision Making: Use data analytics and user feedback to inform design decisions, ensuring services meet performance metrics and user satisfaction goals.
Accessibility and Inclusion: Embed accessibility standards into designs to create inclusive services for users with diverse needs and abilities.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Facilitate seamless integration of service design with development, operations, and other functions through effective collaboration.
Leadership and Mentoring: Guide and mentor design peers, fostering a collaborative and creative environment for professional development.
Communication: Articulate design concepts, user insights, and recommendations clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Risk Management: Identify and mitigate risks in service design projects to ensure successful delivery and alignment with organisational objectives.
Continuous Learning: Stay updated on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in service design, incorporating them into project approaches.
Facilitation of Workshops: Lead collaborative workshops to ideate, problem-solve, and prioritise design solutions with cross-functional teams.
Strategic Vision Setting: Advocate for user-centred design approaches to shape the strategic direction of scalable and iterative service development.
Performance Metrics Definition: Collaborate with analysts to define success metrics and use data to measure impact and drive improvements.
Collaboration with Developers: Ensure smooth handoffs and ongoing support during implementation to maintain design integrity.
Work history
Current employer
Senior Service Design/UX Consultant | UK Research and Innovation | 2019 - Present (Contractor)
Senior Service Design Consultant; shaping end-to-end delivery of UKRI’s new funding platform ‘The Funding Service’. Part of the Innovation Funding Service team. Working with suppliers to champion User Experience, Service Design and GDS principles as UKRI’s digital delivery matures. Responsible for clarity and direction to ensure seamless experiences and a cohesive service.
The main responsibilities of post are:
Work with senior team members and external partners to deliver design and operating concepts through facilitating workshops to uncover insight and build consensus
Work with team members and external partners to deliver user experience activities including usability testing, interviews, surveys and ethnographic studies to drive project decision making
To synthesise insights from user research and testing to inform evidence-based product and organisation design decisions
To champion user-centred design principles within the delivery teams and the organisation
To balance user needs, technical complexity and risk in order to support the prioritisation of product road maps to meet programme deadlines
To maintain expertise within Government Digital Service user research design patterns and standards and keep regular contact with key stakeholders in government to build good working relationships
To be a leader within a community of UCD members to share expertise and best practice across all UKRI digital services
To work collaboratively with agile working teams alongside business analysts, solution architects, developers and testers
Working across the organisation with senior stakeholder and decision makers to delivery ways or working.
Past employment
Lead UX Consultant | Innovation Funding Service | 2018 - 2019 (Contractor)
I designed, planned, and led user research, design, and testing activities, including usability testing, interviews, surveys, ethnographic studies, and digital reporting. I synthesised insights from discovery phases to identify simple, optimal solutions and worked to embed Service Design into Innovate UK's working practices. Additionally, I led workshops and presented deliverables to senior stakeholders, while developing a holistic understanding of the organisation and building a strong internal network. I mentored and encouraged junior UX team members to develop their skills, and actively promoted user-centred design principles and best practices within Innovate UK. I maintained expertise in Government Digital Service design patterns and standards, ensuring regular contact with key stakeholders in government to build effective working relationships. I also worked collaboratively with agile teams, including business analysts, system architects, developers, and testers.
Senior UX Designer | Sequence | 2018 - 2018 (Contractor)
Evolve the experience design of core journeys across websites and app based products and services. Leading team within the User Centred Design. Working across multiple projects. Working with both customer facing and internal product teams with Product Owners, Researchers, BA’s and Developers
UX Designer | Office for National Statistics | 2016 - 2018
Working with the ONS Digital Transformation team to research, design and build services in-house, using a multi-disciplinary team in an agile working environment. The current focus of the team is the ONS public facing collection and dissemination - for example ons.gov.uk.
Interactive Designer | Office for National Statistics | 2013 - 2016
Working within a multi-disciplined Digital Content Team, supporting the creation of high quality data visualisations (e.g. charts, maps and infographics). My role involved the production of creative interactive products which aimed to connect ONS data with its users in innovative ways.
Multiple roles | Private sector | 2009 - 2013
Prior to moving into digital design i work in varying roles in Branding, Advertising and Graphic Design following my graduation from University.
Qualifications
2019 | Managing User Experience Strategy - NN/g UX Certified
Design thinking, early UX methods, content strategy, market research, quantitative assessments, process innovation, design patterns, and UX career development
2019 | DesignOps: Scaling UX Design and User Research - NN/g UX Certified
Defining, sharing, and implementing design and research operations
2019 | Lean UX and Agile - NN/g UX Certified
Applying Lean UX approaches for Agile environments
2019 | The One-Person UX Team - NN/g UX Certified
Techniques and strategies to maximize your impact when you are the sole UX professional on your project or in your organisation
2018 | Mobile User Experience - NN/g UX Certified
Essential UX design principles for small-screen websites and apps
2006 - 2009 | BA(hons) Design for Advertising
2004 - 2006 | National Diploma Multimedia
Certification ID: 1023317